PAST SIMPLE AND PAST CONTINUOUS

Ex1: Complete the sentences with the past continuous of the verbs in brackets

1. I looked outside but it _________________________ (still rain)

2. This time last year we _________________________ in Spain (travel)

3. While we _______________________ in the garden it started to rain. (play)

4. You missed the ball because you ______________________ it (not watch)

5. While the students ______________________ in the pool their parents ___________________

them (swim, watch)

6. My parents ________________________ in Jamaica during the summer of 2016 (live)

7. Serena ____________________ a tray when she slipped. (carry)

8. I couldn’t come last night because I ____________________ (work).

9. She ___________________ a shower when Cathy called. (have)

10. What _______________________ for in the dustbin? (you look)

11. It was a lovely day. The sun _________________ (shine) and the birds __________________
(sing).

12. Sorry. Could you say that again. – I _____________________ (not listen).

13. He _____________________ about the bad treatment he received (complain).

14. Between 2 and 4 yesterday afternoon they boys ____________________ basketball (play).

15. I ___________________ (walk) down the street when it began to rain.

16. At this time last year, I _______________________ (attend) an English course.

17. Jim _____________________ (stand) under the tree when he heard an explosion.

18. The boy fell and hurt himself while he ____________________ (ride) a bicycle.

19. When we met them last year, they ______________________ (live) in Santiago.

20. The tourist lost his camera while he _______________________ (walk) around the city.
21. The lorry ___________________ (go) very fast when it hit our car.

22. While I ______________________ (study) in my room, my roommate

_______________________ (have) a party in the other room.

23. Mary and I _____________________ (dance) in the house when the telephone rang.

24. We ____________________ (sit) in the café when they saw us.

25. He (not/walk) ____________________ in the park when he saw Jenny.

25. She (not/work) ______________________ in his study when the murder happened.

26. My mom (not/talk) ________________________ to her when the murder happened.

27. You (not/play) ______________________ cards when the murder happened.

28. My teacher (not/read) ______________________ in his room when a student entered.

29. They (not/eat) ____________________ in the dining room when there was .

30. Mrs. Lan (not/drink) _________________ coffee in the office when the murder happened.

31. The maid (not/clean) ______________________ the room when the murder happened.

32. I (not/listen) ___________________ to music when the murder happened.

Ex2: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs given with the past continuous

Buy catch enjoy feel make play swim

One day, last summer something really surprising happened to us at the beach.

The weather was great, so lots of people (1) ______________________ in the sea. I (2)

____________________ ice creams from a shop with my parents, and my brothers (3)

__________________ football on the beach.

Everyone (4) ___________________ the lovely weather until someone suddenly shouted, ‘SHARK!’

There was a shark in the water, but luckily it didn’t try to eat anyone. Perhaps it (5)

________________ hungry!
Ex3: Find a mistake in each sentence below and correct it.

1. James was seeing the accident when she was catching the bus.

2. What were you doing when I called?

3. I wasn't visiting him last summer holiday.

4. It was raining heavily last March.

5. While people were talking to each other, she read her book.

6. My brother was eating hamburgers every weekend last month.

7. While we ran in the park, Mary fell over.

8. Were you finding your keys yesterday?

9. Who was she dancing with at the party last night?

10. They watched football on TV at 10 p.m. yesterday.

Ex4: Fill in the correct form of the verbs with past simple or past continuous.

1. When we were in Canada, we _________________ skiing almost every day. (GO)

2. About four years ago I _________________ to become a restaurant manager. (DECIDE)

3. When I was younger I _________________ pizza almost every day (EAT)

4. George _____________________ a shower when someone suddenly _________________ at the

door. (HAVE, KNOCK)

5. Jimmy and I __________________ from the house to the taxi because it ____________________
heavily (RUN, RAIN)

6. Two men __________________________ outside so I went to see what it was (ARGUE)

7. At midnight I _______________________, but Mary _____________________ to music (SLEEP,
LISTEN)

8. Daniel ______________ you yesterday afternoon, but you weren't around (CALL)

9. Penny _______________________ to catch the bus when she ______________ and __________
down. (RUN, SLIP, FALL)

10. We ____________________ breakfast when the message ________________. (EAT, COME)

11. I _____________________ about my favourite dish when the alarm clock _____________ off
(DREAM, GO)

12. While I ______________________ for tomorrow's game , a neighbour ____________________ to

visit me (PRACTICE, COME)

13. They __________________ (play) cards when the postman ________________ (come).

14. I _______________________ (sweep) the floor when I _________________ (hear) a noise.

15. She ______________________ (watch) TV when the doorbell _________________(ring)

16. We __________________ (hear) a cry and __________________ (run) into the kitchen.

17. First Sam _____________________ (buy) the newspaper, and then he __________________
(take) the plane to Chicago.

18. Susan and Sally ____________________ (play) tennis when it ________________ (begin) to rain.

19. I think she _____________________ (wear) her new hat when I ___________________ (see) her
at the zoo.

20. A lot of children _______________________ (wait) at the station when the star
_________________ (arrive).

21. When the phone _________________ (ring), mum _______________________ (work) in the
garden.

22. Sally _________________ (take) a photo when I _____________________ (dance).

23. They ___________________ (read) a book when the lights ______________ (go) out.

24. While George ____________________ (repair) his bike, Bill ____________________ (play)
computer games.

25. We __________________ (talk) about the movie while we ________________________ (walk)

home.

26. They _________________ (forget) our lunch at home last Friday.

27. Ann __________________ (wait) for me when I __________________. (arrive)

28. We ____________________ (not go) out because it ______________________ (rain).

29. Last night I _____________________ (read) in the bed when I suddenly ___________________
(hear) a scream.

30. I _____________________ (not drive) very fast when the accident ___________________
(happen).

31. Helen _____________________ (do) her weekly shopping when she _______________ (meet)
her old friend, June.

32. The sun _____________________ (shine) when I ____________________ (get up) this morning.
I ____________________ (feel) so tired!

33. Jim _____________________ (wait) at one airport while Max _____________________ (wait) at
the other. What a disaster!

34. It _______________________ (rain) very hard, so the referee ______________________

(decide) not to play the match.

35. When the police ____________________ (arrive) at the party, the music
_____________________ (play) very loud and every body _________________________ (shout).

36. Joan ________________ (become) very angry this morning. She______________________

(speak) to an important client and someone __________________ (enter) the room without knocking.
Ex5: Complete the conversation below with past simple or past continuous

Ben: Hi! I’m Ben. Do you remember me? We __________________ (meet) at the football match last
Saturday.

Me: Sorry, but I _____________________ (not go) to a football match last Saturday!

Ben: Well, you weren’t in the crowd, that’s true. You ___________________ (play) and I
__________________ (play) for the opposite team. I ______________________ (run) down the line
with the ball and you __________________ (manage) to take it away from me. You
________________ (get) past three of our players and ________________ (kick) the ball into the net
from twenty metres.

Me: Look, you’ve got the wrong person. I _______________________ (not play) football last
Saturday afternoon. My brother and I ________________________ (take) part in a sailing event off
the coast.

Ben: OK, whatever you say. I must have got the wrong person.

Ex6: Fill in the blank with past simple!

1. The last lesson _____________ at 8 o'clock (BEGIN).

2. Joe ____________ ill after he had his lunch (FEEL).

3. A bird suddenly _____________ into the window (FLY).

4. I think you ___________ the wrong thing (DO).

5. We ______________ the answer at once (KNOW)

6. The students ________________ up when the teacher entered the room (STAND).

7. It was cold, so I ___________________ two pullovers (WEAR).

8. Jackie ___________ us the time (TELL).

9. After breakfast she ____________ the newspaper (READ).

10. I _______________ out about the event later (FIND).

11. They ______________ him home because he was ill (SEND)

12. He ______________ a beer when he was 16 . (DRINK)

13. They ___________ him his own passport (GIVE).

14. Mother _______________ me some fresh clothes (BRING).

15. I ________________ some fresh apples at the supermarket (BUY)

16. Dad ________________ me at the airport (MEET)

17. She _______________ me to the shopping centre where we had lots of fun (TAKE)

18. Sam ________________ to university in Washington (GO)

19. Pat _________________ his coat in the hallway (LEAVE)

20. She ___________________ something on a piece of paper (WRITE).

21. He _______________ home at 7 in the morning (LEAVE).

22. She _________________ the rooms last Friday (SWEEP).

23. He ________________ to work by bus . (GO)

24. We all ________________ lunch at noon. (EAT)

25. He ___________________ houses for a living (BUILD)

26. They __________________ a lot of money for players last year (SPEND).

27. I always _____________ in the morning before work (RUN)

28. She _______________________. (SPEAK, MEET).

29. The burglar _________________ things from the house (STEAL)

30. She __________________ me an email (WRITE).

31. I __________________ a lot when I was young. (READ)

32. They ______________ some wonderful songs together (SING)

33. They ___________________ the presents for the party (CHOOSE).

34. He ___________________ very ill (FEEL)

Ex7: Fill in the missing form of the irregular verbs

Base form Past tense Base form Past tense

pay meet
put sing
run stand
see catch
speak take
teach spend
tell read
win find
write go
begin sit
buy build
get draw
keep wear
make drive
let hear
think leave
say give
throw come
know fall
sell grow